Rotunda likely to move to west Dublin site

Officials in Minister for Health Leo Varadkar's department are working on proposals that could see the historic Rotunda Hospital move to a new location in west Dublin.

Co-locating the 270-year-old institution with Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown is seen as the most likely outcome of a review under way in the Department of Health, after which Mr Varadkar will bring proposals to Cabinet.

Connolly, which lost out narrowly in the competition to be the new national children's hospital, is in the Dublin West constituency of Mr Varadkar and Minister for Social Welfare Joan Burton.

News of the planned move comes as the board of the Rotunda has appointed a new master for a seven-year term. Prof Fergal Malone will take over from Sam Coulter-Smith next January.

Innovations

Prof Malone, who trained in UCD and the United States, is responsible for many notable innovations in Irish obstetric medicine, including the first open foetal surgery for foetal abnormalities, the first laser surgery for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, and the implementation of a national first-trimester screening programme for foetal abnormalities such as Down syndrome.

The Rotunda, the oldest maternity hospital in the world, has long outgrown its premises on Dublin’s Parnell Square. Dr Coulter Smith has repeatedly warned of the safety risks posed by the cramped conditions in which staff treat patients.

Change of plan

International best practice is to co-locate maternity hospitals with adult facilities. It was originally intended that the Rotunda would move to new premises at the nearby Mater hospital when the national children’s hospital was to be built on that site. However, the Mater was refused planning permission for the project, which is now to be built at St James’s Hospital.

Dr Coulter Smith said it was likely the Rotunda would move to co-locate with one of the adult teaching hospitals in its Dublin North East/RCSI hospital group. As Beaumont would probably not be able to accommodate the maternity hospital, the most likely outcome of the department's review was a move to Blanchardstown.

Mr Varadkar’s spokesman said the department was currently reviewing the best location for the Rotunda and the Coombe. No decision had been made and the review was expected to be completed in the near future.